“It was rare for nobles - or rich people in general for that matter - to be strictly monogamous, unless they were raised by orcs. Generally, it was accepted that the well-to-do, with the resources to support the lives of multiple lovers at once, would have at least an additional lover, or three.

Gender does not even play a role in this case, as people of either gender had kept harems of lovers with them throughout history, neither does preference, as those harems could easily be of the same gender, or mixed, rather than just the opposite gender.

If anything, finding a nobleman or noblewoman who remained entirely loyal to a single spouse in all their life was more a rarity. Usually the one in a position of power would flaunt it to have multiple spouses at the very least. Sometimes though, they were also forced to take on multiple spouses, especially when a bloodline runs thin and the need to propagate the line grows strong.” - From a Sociology paper by Leigh Wainwrought, advanced student and assistant professor in the Levain Institute of Higher Learning, circa 695 FP.

“You’ve been busy of late I hear, kid,” said Cal as she approached them with a wide smile on her face. She gave a gesture to Ying Xiao as well, telling her to carry on with what she was doing, which was mostly keeping up with a toddler who was busy walking all over the place, ready to catch her should she stumble and fall.

Both Xain and Layla were about to get up and greet her in turn, but Cal waved them down and told them to remain where they were with a pointed look at Layla’s belly. That simple gesture caused Xain’s protestations to die out in his throat, and instead he invited her to share the divan with them.

It was an invitation Cal obliged, since the divan was more than large enough for five people anyway, and he laid down comfortably to Layla’s other side. She joined Xain as he gently caressed the slight bump on the young Empress’ belly, her own touch careful and light on Layla’s bared skin.

“The pregnancy going well this time as well, I hope?” she asked after a quiet moment. Layla’s first pregnancy was problem-free, and given how she had some of the best healers in the world present during the childbirth there was practically no danger to her or her child, yet Cal knew such things could be fickle, as she had learned from Dinah’s fate.

“The imperial physicians all gave her a clean bill of health,” replied Xain with a beaming smile on his face as he answered while feeding his wife some fruit by hand. “They also said that Layla might be pregnant with twins this time, though it was a bit too early to tell.”

“Twins huh? If you happen to have time to visit, I bet Aideen could tell,” replied Cal with a nod and a pleased look. “Heard you also took care of those annoying fuckheads at last. Good job, kid, and good riddance.”

“It’s mostly Ying Xiao’s good work that made it possible,” said Xain with a proud smile in turn. “She had sparked the… incident that caused the old dog Wang to lose his temper, and then took care of him personally in the assault as well.”

“Glad to see those years of training had not gone unused then,” said Cal as she nodded. It was within her expectations that Ying Xiao would be able to handle the traditionalist stronghold with the training she had been given under her hands. “The calls for you to take up another wife has died down I hope?”

“It… hasn’t exactly died down yet, but no matter. I plan to heed it anyway.”

“Oh, really?” asked Cal with a raised eyebrow as she stared at Xain straight in the eye. He had been against the idea for a long time that the sudden acquiescence surprised Cal quite a bit. “Who is the lucky woman then?”

In answer to her question, both Xain and Layla turned their heads to look at Ying Xiao, who was far away at a corner of the room at the time because Farah saw something there that interested her. Both of them also had expressions of fondness on their features that were telling.

“Even after we gave her rank and standing, many still refused to let go of her past and spread bad rumors about her,” said Layla almost wistfully with a voice too quiet for anyone outside the three of them to hear. “And what you said is true, Cal. I don’t think that girl could live on her own at this point. If we were to tell her that she’s free to pursue her own desires and are no longer beholden to us she’d likely think we’re casting her off instead.”

“So we decided to make her our equal instead,” added Xain to his wife’s words. “Ying Xiao had damaged her own reputations, spread rumors to her own detriment, to help execute the plan we had hatched to get rid of that old dog Wang before. Since the rest of them hadn’t stopped pestering me to take another wife since then… I might as well give them what they asked for, in a way they would not like in the least.”

“And see how they’d like it if the one they badmouthed had the power and the right to chop their head off for a change, eh?” replied Cal with a growing smirk on her own face. “Can’t say I dislike the sound of that idea. When do you plan to hold the ceremony then?”

“We’re thinking late next autumn, after the babies are born and Layla had recovered, so she could be present to make it clear that the marriage has her blessings as well,” replied Xain as Layla nodded. “We would be honored if you could be present as well, Cal.”

“Late autumn… it should be doable. I’ll arrange my trip next year so I can get here by then.”